CN115053150A - Environmental sensor and sensing method - Google Patents

Environmental sensor and sensing method Download PDF

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Publication number
CN115053150A
CN115053150A CN202080096006.7A CN202080096006A CN115053150A CN 115053150 A CN115053150 A CN 115053150A CN 202080096006 A CN202080096006 A CN 202080096006A CN 115053150 A CN115053150 A CN 115053150A
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China
Prior art keywords
sensor
agricultural
sensor device
incident light
horticultural
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CN202080096006.7A
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Chinese (zh)
Inventor
B·H·凡维克
D·L·基勒
G·A·麦凯布
J·A·摩根
L·R·邓恩
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Viperyander Co ltd
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Viperyander Co ltd
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    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01W—METEOROLOGY
    • G01W1/00—Meteorology
    • G01W1/02—Instruments for indicating weather conditions by measuring two or more variables, e.g. humidity, pressure, temperature, cloud cover or wind speed
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01D—MEASURING NOT SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR A SPECIFIC VARIABLE; ARRANGEMENTS FOR MEASURING TWO OR MORE VARIABLES NOT COVERED IN A SINGLE OTHER SUBCLASS; TARIFF METERING APPARATUS; MEASURING OR TESTING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • G01D21/00—Measuring or testing not otherwise provided for
    • G01D21/02—Measuring two or more variables by means not covered by a single other subclass
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
    • G01N33/00—Investigating or analysing materials by specific methods not covered by groups G01N1/00 - G01N31/00
    • G01N33/24—Earth materials
    • G01N33/246—Earth materials for water content
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01W—METEOROLOGY
    • G01W1/00—Meteorology
    • G01W1/02—Instruments for indicating weather conditions by measuring two or more variables, e.g. humidity, pressure, temperature, cloud cover or wind speed
    • G01W1/04—Instruments for indicating weather conditions by measuring two or more variables, e.g. humidity, pressure, temperature, cloud cover or wind speed giving only separate indications of the variables measured
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04W—WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
    • H04W4/00—Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
    • H04W4/30—Services specially adapted for particular environments, situations or purposes
    • H04W4/38—Services specially adapted for particular environments, situations or purposes for collecting sensor information
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
    • G01N33/00—Investigating or analysing materials by specific methods not covered by groups G01N1/00 - G01N31/00
    • G01N33/24—Earth materials
    • G01N2033/245—Earth materials for agricultural purposes
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
    • G01N33/00—Investigating or analysing materials by specific methods not covered by groups G01N1/00 - G01N31/00
    • G01N33/0004—Gaseous mixtures, e.g. polluted air
    • G01N33/0009—General constructional details of gas analysers, e.g. portable test equipment
    • G01N33/0027—General constructional details of gas analysers, e.g. portable test equipment concerning the detector
    • G01N33/0036—Specially adapted to detect a particular component
    • G01N33/004—Specially adapted to detect a particular component for CO, CO2
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04W—WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
    • H04W84/00—Network topologies
    • H04W84/18—Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04W—WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
    • H04W88/00—Devices specially adapted for wireless communication networks, e.g. terminals, base stations or access point devices
    • H04W88/02—Terminal devices
    • H04W88/04—Terminal devices adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02A—TECHNOLOGIES FOR ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02A50/00—TECHNOLOGIES FOR ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE in human health protection, e.g. against extreme weather
    • Y02A50/20—Air quality improvement or preservation, e.g. vehicle emission control or emission reduction by using catalytic converters

Abstract

Environmental sensors, sensor devices, sensor systems, and/or sensing methods are described herein. In particular, an agricultural or horticultural environment multi-sensor device comprises a plurality of environmental sensors including at least: an incident light sensor, a temperature sensor, a carbon dioxide sensor, and a relative humidity sensor. The sensor device may further comprise a wireless communication interface, the multi-sensor device being configured to transmit data from the environmental sensor via the wireless communication interface.

Description

Environmental sensor and sensing method
Technical Field
In particular, but not exclusively, the present invention relates to an environmental sensor, a sensor device (unit), a sensor system and/or a sensing method in agricultural or horticultural applications.
Background
Environmental sensors are used in agricultural or horticultural settings to monitor growth conditions. Known environmental sensors include, for example, temperature, humidity and soil moisture sensors.
Typical systems use separate sensors dedicated to sensing a single environmental condition. Existing sensors also encounter difficulties in use and/or installation, some of which have high power requirements and require physical connection to mains power supply (mains electricity). Some sensors are arranged for wireless communication of sensed data. However, these sensors may have limited range and the communication of data in large areas typically requires the use of a separate communication repeater (repeater).
Existing individual sensors may be mounted in a louvered housing in an attempt to protect the sensor while allowing accurate measurement of conditions outside the housing. However, accuracy remains problematic.
Existing sensor devices are expensive and do not provide accurate or reliable data. Existing sensor devices are difficult to install and/or use and require too much power during operation.
It is an object of the present invention to provide improvements in, or at least to provide the public with a useful choice of, environmental sensor arrangements and/or systems and/or methods and/or related agricultural or horticultural systems.
Disclosure of Invention
An agricultural or horticultural environment multi-sensor device may include a plurality of environmental sensors including at least: an incident light sensor, a temperature sensor, a carbon dioxide sensor, and a relative humidity sensor. The sensor device may further comprise a wireless communication interface, the multi-sensor device being configured to transmit data from the environmental sensor via the wireless communication interface. The sensor device may include: a battery connector for receiving power from a battery located on or in the multi-sensor device; and a wired power supply connector for receiving power from an external power supply.
The environmental sensor may also include an atmospheric pressure sensor.
The incident light sensor may be a solar irradiance (irradiance) sensor. The sensor device may further comprise a photosynthetically active radiation (radiation) sensor.
Alternatively, the incident light sensor may be a photosynthetically active radiation sensor.
The sensor devices may be configured to form a mesh network with homogeneous (like) multi-sensor devices.
The sensor device may be configured to act as a repeater in the mesh network only when receiving power from an external power source.
The sensor devices may be configured to broadcast data, where pairing is not required.
The sensor device may comprise one or more orientation sensors.
The sensor device may include a louvered housing in which the plurality of environmental sensors are mounted, wherein the louvered housing allows airflow through the multi-sensor device without the use of a powered fan.
The sensor device may be arranged to receive data from one or more external auxiliary sensors. A sensor assembly may comprise such an agricultural or horticultural environment multi-sensor device and an external auxiliary sensor. The auxiliary sensor may be a soil moisture sensor.
An agricultural or horticultural environment multi-sensor device may include a plurality of environmental sensors; and a louvered housing in which the plurality of environmental sensors are mounted. The environmental sensor may include at least: an incident light sensor positioned near a top surface of the housing, the top surface configured to allow light to enter the housing to impinge on the incident light sensor; and a temperature sensor spaced apart from the incident light sensor and positioned such that air may flow freely through the louvered housing and over the temperature sensor.
The temperature sensor may be a combined temperature and relative humidity sensor.
The incident light sensor may be part of a first sensor assembly and the temperature sensor may be part of a second sensor assembly, each sensor assembly comprising one or more further environmental sensors.
The environmental sensor may include a carbon dioxide sensor and a relative humidity sensor.
The environmental sensor may include an atmospheric pressure sensor.
The sensor device may include a wireless communication interface, the multi-sensor device being configured to transmit data from the environmental sensor via the wireless communication interface.
The sensor device may include a battery connector for receiving power from a battery located on or in the multi-sensor device; and a wired power supply connector for receiving power from an external power supply.
The incident light sensor may be a solar irradiance sensor. The sensor device may comprise a photosynthetically active radiation sensor.
Alternatively, the incident light sensor may be a photosynthetically active radiation sensor.
The sensor device may comprise one or more orientation sensors.
An agricultural or horticultural environment sensor device may include: a housing; an incident light sensor positioned within the housing; and one or more optical elements positioned on a top surface of the housing and configured such that, in use, light from a range of angles of incidence will impinge upon the incident light sensor.
The one or more optical elements may be arranged to disperse incident light, the dispersed incident light impinging on the incident light sensor.
The one or more optical elements may be arranged to direct incident light onto the incident light sensor.
The one or more optical elements may comprise one or more optical windows arranged to allow incident light to pass through the housing.
The one or more optical elements may comprise one or more lenses.
An agricultural or horticultural environment sensor system may comprise a plurality of multi-sensor devices, each multi-sensor device comprising: a plurality of environmental sensors; and a louvered housing in which the plurality of environmental sensors are mounted; a wireless communication interface; wherein the multi-sensor devices are configured to communicate with each other via their respective wireless communication interfaces, thereby forming a mesh network for communication of sensor data within the controlled agricultural or horticultural environment.
The agricultural or horticultural environment sensor system may be configured for wireless communication with a gateway supporting an internet connection.
Each sensor device may be configured to act as a repeater in the mesh network only when receiving power from an external power source.
An agricultural or horticultural system may include: a controlled growth environment; a plurality of multi-sensor devices in a controlled growth environment, each multi-sensor device according to any of the embodiments discussed above; one or more climate regulating devices; and one or more controllers arranged to receive data from the multi-sensor apparatus and to control the one or more environmental conditioning devices based on the received data.
The system may be configured to control the one or more environmental conditioning apparatuses differently in different regions of the controlled growth environment based on the received data and the respective positions of the multi-sensor apparatus in the controlled growth environment.
Each multi-sensor device may include a position sensor.
The environment conditioning device may include one or more of the following: one or more sprinklers, one or more irrigation devices, one or more humidifiers, one or more mist or mist producing devices, one or more nutrient application devices, one or more heating devices, one or more cooling devices, one or more ventilators, one or more air flow devices, one or more carbon dioxide injection devices, one or more carbon dioxide extraction devices, one or more dehumidifiers, one or more light sources, and one or more shades.
Drawings
The invention will be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a first perspective view of a sensor device according to one embodiment;
FIG. 2 is a front view of the sensor device of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a second perspective view of the sensor device of FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a cross-section through the sensor device of FIG. 1;
FIG. 5 is an exploded view of an upper sensor assembly from the sensor device of FIG. 1;
FIG. 5A is a schematic diagram illustrating some components of a sensor device according to one embodiment;
FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating a plurality of sensor devices in a growing environment and the connection of the sensor devices to external equipment;
FIG. 6A is a schematic diagram illustrating the communication of sensor data within a sensor network;
FIG. 7 illustrates display of sensor data and/or user interaction with a sensor system;
FIG. 8 further illustrates the display of sensor data and/or user interaction with the sensor system;
FIG. 9 illustrates a display of sensor data using a heat map;
FIG. 10 further illustrates the display of sensor data and/or user interaction with the sensor system;
FIG. 11 is a top view of a first sensor assembly according to one embodiment;
FIG. 11A is a bottom view of the first sensor assembly of FIG. 11;
FIG. 12 is a top view of a second sensor assembly according to one embodiment;
FIG. 12A is a bottom view of the sensor assembly of FIG. 12;
FIG. 13 is a top view of an additional component according to an embodiment; and
fig. 13A is a bottom view of the assembly of fig. 13.
Detailed Description
For the purposes of this specification, the term "about" or "approximately" and grammatical variations thereof means an amount, level, degree, value, number, frequency, percentage, size, amount, weight, or length that varies by as much as 30%, 25%, 20%, 15%, 10%, 9%, 8%, 7%, 6%, 5%, 4%, 3%, 2%, or 1% relative to a reference amount, reference level, reference degree, reference value, reference frequency, reference percentage, reference dimension, reference size, reference amount, reference weight, or reference length.
The term "substantially" or grammatical variations thereof means at least about 50%, e.g., 75%, 85%, 95%, or 98%.
The term "comprising" and grammatical variants thereof shall have an inclusive meaning-i.e., that the term is to be taken as meaning as including not only the listed components it directly references, but also other unspecified components or elements.
Applicants' sensor apparatus, system and sensing method may be particularly suited for application in a controlled agricultural or horticultural environment. Such controlled environments may include, for example, greenhouses, indoor growth rooms, indoor farms, and the like.
The sensor arrangement may provide a detailed view of environmental conditions in the controlled environment.
The sensor device may include any combination of desired environmental sensors. Integrating multiple sensors in a single housing provides for convenient collection of multiple sensor data.
Furthermore, the sensor devices may be arranged to communicate with each other and/or with a communication gateway to provide robust and convenient communication of data from the sensors. In some embodiments, a mesh network may be implemented between the sensor devices and the gateway. This may be accomplished using any suitable wireless communication protocol. Bluetooth may be used, which may provide for easy configuration using a cellular phone and the range required to operate in a mass-production environment. The bluetooth 5 protocol allows low power use but still allows penetration of the biomass. However, if greater range is desired, other wireless communication techniques, such as LoRa, may be used.
Data can be collected and provided to a cloud-based service that provides rich visualization and insight (insight) to users. The sensor device may be arranged to automatically act as a repeater within the network when an external power supply connection is provided.
The sensor devices may be arranged and/or controlled to limit or prevent undesired interaction between the sensors that may affect the accuracy of the data. The sensor device may operate at relatively low power requirements and may be battery powered or may receive power from an external source, such as mains power. Thus, many types of measurements are provided by one low power wireless device. The measurements taken may include one or more of the following: temperature, relative humidity, solar irradiance, photosynthetically active radiation, air pressure, CO 2 Concentration and soil moisture. Other desired measurements may be added if desired.
Where the sensor device comprises one or more incident light sensors, a lens arrangement may be used to pass incident light to the light sensors, and in some embodiments to reduce the dependence of the sensor output on the angle of incidence of the light. Further, one or more orientation sensors may be included to provide orientation data for the sensor device. The orientation data may be used to correct any sensor data based on known changes in the sensor data with orientation. This may be particularly useful when correcting data from one or more incident light sensors.
The sensor may comprise a carbon dioxide sensor. This sensor may be arranged to sense the concentration of carbon dioxide in the air. Infrared gas sensors may be suitable. Non-dispersive infrared (NDIR) CO 2 A sensor may be suitable. For example, in some embodiments, from
Figure BDA0003787394430000061
Sensors of the sensor series may be suitable.
The sensor may include one or more incident light sensors. Any suitable ambient light sensor or other photodetector may be used. Photodiode sensors may be suitable. The incident light sensor may be sensitive in the desired wavelength range. The one or more light sensors may include either or both of: solar irradiance sensors and photosynthetically active radiation sensors. Photosynthetically active radiation is radiation (generally considered to be in the wavelength range of 400nm to 700 nm) that is used by plants in photosynthesis. For example, in some embodiments, OSRAM (OSRAM) SFH2200 and/or SFH2240 sensors may be suitable.
An optical arrangement arranged to pass incident light to one or more incident light sensors may be included. This may be provided at the top of the sensor device. In some embodiments, the optical arrangement may comprise a lens structure arranged to collect light from a wide range of angles of incidence and pass it to the sensor(s). This ensures that the measurement is accurate regardless of the angle of incidence (which may vary, for example, due to movement of the sun). This can be further improved by ensuring that the sensor means is level. One or more integrated orientation sensors (e.g., accelerometers and gyroscopes) may be used to provide orientation information during installation to assist the installer in leveling the sensor device. Orientation sensors may also be used to monitor the angle of the product so that leveling error (level error) can be detected.
In addition, this lens component may also provide a light pipe path from several LED lamps inside the device to the outer surface of the enclosure to provide user feedback for installation, configuration, and/or use. In some embodiments, the LEDs may provide feedback during installation and then be turned off to save power. For example, in one embodiment, enough LEDs may be provided to allow the following feedback to be provided: the sensor device is running an installation test, the test is successful, the communication is faulty (e.g., out of range), the sensor test is failed (preferably with a separate indication for each sensor within the sensor device). This information may be displayed using any combination of LED colors, solid light (solid light), strobe lights, number of LEDs, etc.
The sensor may comprise a humidity sensor. The sensor may comprise a temperature sensor. A single sensor measuring relative humidity and temperature may be used. For example, in some embodiments, a Sensirion SHT35 relative humidity and temperature sensor may be suitable.
The sensor may comprise an atmospheric pressure sensor. For example, in some embodiments, Bosch (Bosch) BMP280 digital barometers may be suitable.
The sensors may include one or more position sensors. For example, any suitable GPS sensor may be used, such as Ubox GPS-SAM-M8Q. Other positioning sensors may be used, for example based on a local positioning system. Further, in some embodiments, the user may input the sensor device location rather than relying on the use of a location sensor.
The sensors may include one or more orientation sensors, including, for example, a 3-axis accelerometer.
The sensor may be mounted within the housing. In some embodiments, a louvered housing may be used, thereby providing airflow through the housing (and to the sensor) without the need for powered flow devices, such as fans. The louvered design decouples the energy incident on each louver from the other louvers, making it difficult for thermal energy to transfer to the interior region of the sensor device. This may be particularly advantageous in terms of accurate measurement of temperature. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the temperature sensor may be protected from solar radiation that may bias the measurement upwards. This may be achieved by a louvered housing and, in addition, may provide a physical separation between the temperature sensor and at least some of the other sensors.
Combining the measurement of solar radiation and temperature into the same device poses a challenge because the light sensor must be exposed to the sun, resulting in local heating. The temperature sensor may be separate from the incident light sensor to provide accurate measurements. In particular, the incident light sensor(s) may be located at the top of the sensor device, while the temperature sensor is located lower in the sensor device (e.g., near the middle or bottom of the sensor device), thereby isolating it from the effect of light heating the top of the sensor device. The louvered design decouples the energy incident on each plate from the other plates, making it difficult to transfer the thermal energy to the interior region of the device. In addition, this structure promotes natural convection through the device to allow airflow while providing protection from water and sunlight.
Managing the airflow through the sensor device without the need for a separate fan unit allows the sensor device to receive the required air over the sensor and reduce battery consumption. In some embodiments, a pair of C cell batteries (C cell batteries) is expected to last up to 12 months.
An external sensor or an auxiliary sensor may be connected to the sensor device. For example, an external soil moisture sensor may be connected to the sensor device. The external sensor may communicate with the sensor device via a wired connection, for example to an auxiliary sensor port. Alternatively, the external sensor may communicate with the sensor device through a wireless connection. The external sensors may contain their own batteries or externally powered connections, or may draw power from the sensor device.
High quality and quantity of sensor data may be communicated via a network and uploaded to a remote memory. The sensor device may be driven by an application program (App) or any other desired interface to give one or more indications of the microclimate/environment of the greenhouse or other growing environment. Further, the data may be stored for monitoring environmental history and/or for integration into a control system. Visualization and insight may be provided or displayed to the user. If any of the environmental conditions satisfy an alarm condition (e.g., exceeds a threshold, falls outside of an allowable range, etc.), a user prompt or warning may be issued via any suitable output or display device. The prompt or alert may be user configurable via an application or other interface.
Still further, sensor data may be used in a wider variety of control systems in which environmental conditions are controlled based on the sensor data. Environmental conditions that may be controlled include: temperature, relative humidity, ventilation, solar energy, soil moisture, etc. Ventilation systems, water supply systems, heating systems, cooling systems, shading systems, lighting systems, etc. may all be controlled based on sensor data. The desired value or range of environmental conditions may be set by a user, such as via an application or other suitable interface.
The sensors within the sensor device may be controlled to collect data at staggered times to reduce peak power requirements of the sensor device. In particular, the carbon dioxide sensor may operate during its own time interval, since its power consumption is relatively high.
The sensor device may be mounted in any suitable manner and suitable fittings may be provided on the housing for pole mounting, suspension, etc.
Working examples
The apparatus, methods and uses described above are now described with reference to specific embodiments.
Example 1
Fig. 1-4 illustrate a sensor device according to one embodiment. The sensor device 1 includes a louver housing 2, and a plurality of internal environment sensors are mounted in the louver housing 2. Typically, a plurality of environmental sensors may be mounted in one or more locations within the housing 2. In the embodiment shown in fig. 4, the first sensor assembly 3 may be mounted near the top of the housing 2, while the second sensor assembly 4 may be mounted lower in the housing 2, for example near the middle or bottom of the housing 2. Thus, the second sensor assembly 4 may be spaced apart from the first sensor assembly 3.
In this embodiment, the upper first sensor assembly 3 may comprise at least an incident light sensor, while the lower second sensor assembly 4 may comprise at least a temperature sensor. The other sensor may be located on the first or second sensor assembly (3, 4) or may be mounted separately or in one further sensor assembly. In the illustrated embodiment, CO 2 Incident light, GPS and orientation sensors are included in the first sensor assembly 3, while relative humidity/temperature and barometric pressure sensors are included in the second sensor assembly 4.
Fig. 11-13A illustrate a circuit board assembly that may be used in a sensor device, such as the sensor device of fig. 1-4. Fig. 11 and 11A are top and bottom views of the first sensor assembly 3. Fig. 12 and 12A are top and bottom views of the second sensor assembly 4. Fig. 13 and 13A are top and bottom views of an additional sensor device assembly.
A processor mounted to the first circuit board at location 31 may communicate with a network via a wireless communication interface and may collect all sensor data.
Power may be provided via battery terminals 32, 33 or by an external power supply connector 34 located on the backplane.
The sensor data is provided by a plurality of sensors, which may include a CO connected to the ceiling using a connector 4 2 A sensor, a ceiling mounted solar radiation sensor at 51, a ceiling mounted photosynthetically active radiation sensor at 52, a ceiling mounted orientation sensor at 35, a ceiling mounted GPS sensor at 36, a mid-plane mounted temperature and relative humidity sensor at 37 and a mid-plane mounted atmospheric pressure sensor at 38. The connector 39 may be mounted to the backplane allowing for external auxiliary sensors or external auxiliary sensor portsTo a wireless connection.
The housing 2 includes a plurality of louvers 6 with spaces 7 between the louvers to allow air to flow through the interior of the housing 2 and over at least those sensors requiring airflow. In the illustrated embodiment, the CO is directed onto the first sensor assembly 3 2 The sensor and the sensor on the second sensor assembly 4. This is the temperature, relative humidity, air pressure and CO located within the housing 2 2 The concentration sensor provides acceptable airflow without the need for powered flow devices, such as fans.
As shown in fig. 3 and 4, an optical element 8 may be disposed in a top surface of the housing 2, allowing incident light to propagate through the housing 2 for sensing by an incident light sensor, as will be described in detail below. Fig. 3 also shows a configuration 9 suitable for suspending the sensor device from a support structure.
Fig. 5 is an exploded view of the upper sensor assembly. The circuit board 30 may carry suitable circuitry for power and communication connections. The incident light sensors 51, 52 may be mounted to the upper surface of the circuit board 30. CO 2 2 The sensor 50 may be mounted to the bottom surface of the circuit board 30. The upper components may include one or more optical elements 8 (such as optical windows, lenses, filters, mirrors (mirrors), etc. arranged to allow incident light to impinge on the incident light sensors 51, 52. the one or more optical elements 8 may disperse the incident light such that the dispersed incident light impinges on the incident light sensors 51, 52. the one or more optical elements 8 may direct incident light onto the incident light sensors 51, 52. in some embodiments, at least one of the one or more optical elements 8 may be shaped or arranged to reduce the dependence of the incident light reading on the angle of incidence of the incident light. fig. 5A is a schematic diagram illustrating some components of the sensor apparatus 1. the processor 45 communicates with the network via the wireless communication interface 46. the battery 47 and/or the external power supply connector 48 provides power to various components of the sensor apparatus 1. the apparatus 1 includes a plurality of environmental sensors, the plurality of environmental sensors provide data to the processor 45, and the plurality of environmental sensors may includeCO 2 Sensor 50, solar radiation sensor 51, photosynthetically active radiation sensor 52, orientation sensor 53, temperature and relative humidity sensor 54, barometric pressure sensor 55 and GPS sensor 56. Port 57 may allow for wired connection of external auxiliary sensors. Other sensors may be included.
A reset/test switch 12 (fig. 1) may also be included to allow a user to reset the sensor device 1 and/or run a test program.
Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating a sensor system 60, the sensor system 60 comprising a plurality of sensor devices 61, 62, 63, 64 distributed in a controlled agricultural or horticultural environment 65. In general, any suitable number of sensor devices may be used. When installed and powered, the sensor devices 61, 62, 63, 64 may automatically form a mesh network with each other via the wireless communication link 66. In some embodiments, all of the sensor devices 61, 62, 63, 64 may act as full node/repeaters in the network. In other embodiments, only sensor devices connected to an external power source will automatically act as repeaters. The mesh network may be connected to a gateway device 68 via an additional wireless link 67. In some embodiments, the gateway device 68 may also be part of a mesh network and/or may be incorporated into or connected to one of the sensor apparatuses by a wired connection. The gateway may be connected to one or more local processors 70, databases 71, and/or the cloud 72. A user may interact with the system through the local processor 70 or may connect to the gateway 68, local processor 70, database 71, or cloud 72 using any suitable user device, including a smartphone, tablet, computer, or other suitable device. The sensor data may be stored in a database 71, cloud 72, or other suitable memory.
Fig. 6A is a schematic diagram showing how data may be transmitted over a network. The first sensor device 61 transmits the first sensor data to the second sensor device 62. The second sensor data relays (repeats) the first sensor data and sends the second sensor data to the third sensor device 64. The third sensor device 64 relays the first sensor data and the second sensor data and transmits the third sensor data to the gateway apparatus 68.
The sensors may capture data continuously or periodically. In one embodiment, the sensor may measure continuously, but data may be transmitted from the sensor device periodically, for example, every 3 to 5 minutes.
Any suitable array of sensor devices may be provided within the growth space, and this may depend on the communication range, the desired spatial density of sensor data, and the density of any branches that may interfere with communication. In one embodiment, bluetooth 5 telecommunications may provide a range of hundreds of meters in the case of direct line of sight (sight), but provide a range of about 40 meters through branches and leaves. Thus, in some embodiments, the spacing between sensor devices may be 40 meters or less.
The sensor device array can be easily scaled to the size of a particular growing environment. Additional sensor devices may be added to the network using automatic connections without any pairing or manual connection processes.
Any desired visualization and insight may be displayed or provided to the user/customer. For example, a detailed view of the environmental conditions present in the growth environment may be displayed. Raw data for each environmental condition, average values, trends over time, heatmaps, cumulative values over a period of time, etc. may be displayed. FIG. 7 illustrates a user display that gives values for each environmental condition and allows the user to set alerts for each condition. FIG. 8 illustrates a display of historical data for several environmental conditions versus time. Fig. 9 shows a heat map of temperature in a growth environment. Fig. 10 shows an additional interface that allows a user to set alarms and add or remove sensor devices.
While the present invention has been illustrated by the description of embodiments thereof, and while the embodiments have been described in detail, it is not the intention of the applicants to restrict or in any way limit the scope of the appended claims to such detail. Furthermore, the above embodiments may be implemented separately, or may be combined where compatible. Additional advantages and modifications, including combinations of the above embodiments, will readily appear to those skilled in the art. The invention in its broader aspects is therefore not limited to the specific details, representative apparatus and method, and illustrative examples shown and described. Accordingly, departures may be made from such details without departing from the spirit or scope of applicant's general inventive concept or the scope of the claims herein.

Claims (36)

1. An agricultural or horticultural environment multi-sensor device comprising:
a plurality of environmental sensors, the plurality of environmental sensors including at least: an incident light sensor, a temperature sensor, a carbon dioxide sensor and a relative humidity sensor;
a wireless communication interface via which the multi-sensor apparatus is configured to transmit data from the environmental sensor;
a battery connector for receiving power from a battery located on or in the multi-sensor device; and
a wired power supply connector for receiving power from an external power source.
2. The agricultural or horticultural environment multi-sensor device of claim 1, wherein the environmental sensor further comprises an atmospheric pressure sensor.
3. The agricultural or horticultural environment multi-sensor apparatus of claim 1 or 2, wherein the incident light sensor is a solar irradiance sensor.
4. The agricultural or horticultural environment multi-sensor device of claim 3, further comprising a photosynthetically active radiation sensor.
5. The agricultural or horticultural environment multi-sensor apparatus of claim 1 or 2, wherein the incident light sensor is a photosynthetically active radiation sensor.
6. The agricultural or horticultural environment multi-sensor device of any preceding claim, configured to form a mesh network with a homogeneous multi-sensor device.
7. The agricultural or horticultural environment multi-sensor device of claim 6, configured to act as a repeater in the mesh network only when receiving power from the external power source.
8. The agricultural or horticultural environment multi-sensor device of claim 6 or 7, configured to broadcast data, wherein no pairing is required.
9. The agricultural or horticultural environment multi-sensor apparatus of any preceding claim, further comprising one or more orientation sensors.
10. The agricultural or horticultural environment multi-sensor device of any preceding claim, comprising a louvered housing in which the plurality of environmental sensors are mounted, wherein the louvered housing allows airflow through the multi-sensor device without the use of a powered fan.
11. The agricultural or horticultural environment multi-sensor device of any preceding claim, arranged to receive data from one or more external auxiliary sensors.
12. A sensor assembly comprising the agricultural or horticultural environment multi-sensor device of claim 11 and an external auxiliary sensor.
13. The sensor assembly of claim 12, wherein the auxiliary sensor is a soil moisture sensor.
14. An agricultural or horticultural environment multi-sensor device comprising:
a plurality of environmental sensors; and
a louvered housing in which the plurality of environmental sensors are mounted;
wherein the environmental sensor comprises at least:
an incident light sensor positioned near a top surface of the housing, the top surface configured to allow light to enter the housing to impinge on the incident light sensor;
a temperature sensor spaced apart from the incident light sensor and positioned such that air can pass through the louvered housing and flow freely over the temperature sensor.
15. The agricultural or horticultural environment multi-sensor device of claim 14, wherein the temperature sensor is a combined temperature and relative humidity sensor.
16. The agricultural or horticultural environment multi-sensor device of claim 14 or 15, wherein the incident light sensor is part of a first sensor assembly and the temperature sensor is part of a second sensor assembly, each sensor assembly including one or more further environmental sensors.
17. The agricultural or horticultural environment multi-sensor apparatus of claim 14, wherein the environmental sensor includes a carbon dioxide sensor and a relative humidity sensor.
18. The agricultural or horticultural environment multi-sensor apparatus of claim 14 or 17, wherein the environmental sensor further comprises an atmospheric pressure sensor.
19. The agricultural or horticultural environment multi-sensor device of any one of claims 14 to 17, comprising a wireless communication interface, the multi-sensor device being configured to transmit data from the environmental sensors via the wireless communication interface.
20. The agricultural or horticultural environment multi-sensor device of any one of claims 14 to 18, comprising: a battery connector for receiving power from a battery located on or in the multi-sensor device; and a wired power supply connector for receiving power from an external power supply.
21. The agricultural or horticultural environment multi-sensor device of any one of claims 14 to 20, wherein the incident light sensor is a solar irradiance sensor.
22. The agricultural or horticultural environment multi-sensor device of claim 21, further comprising a photosynthetically active radiation sensor.
23. The agricultural or horticultural environment multi-sensor device of any one of claims 14 to 20, wherein the incident light sensor is a photosynthetically active radiation sensor.
24. The agricultural or horticultural environment multi-sensor apparatus of any one of claims 14 to 23, further comprising one or more orientation sensors.
25. An agricultural or horticultural environment sensor device comprising:
a housing;
an incident light sensor positioned within the housing; and
one or more optical elements positioned on a top surface of the housing and configured such that, in use, light from a range of incident angles will impinge on the incident light sensor.
26. The agricultural or horticultural environment sensor device of claim 25, wherein the one or more optical elements are arranged to disperse incident light, the dispersed incident light impinging on the incident light sensor.
27. The agricultural or horticultural environment sensor device of claim 25, wherein the one or more optical elements are arranged to direct incident light onto the incident light sensor.
28. The agricultural or horticultural environment sensor device of claim 25, wherein the one or more optical elements include one or more optical windows arranged to allow incident light to pass through the housing.
29. The agricultural or horticultural environment sensor device of claim 25, wherein the one or more optical elements comprise one or more lenses.
30. An agricultural or horticultural environment sensor system comprising a plurality of multi-sensor devices, each of said multi-sensor devices comprising:
a plurality of environmental sensors; and
a louvered housing in which the plurality of environmental sensors are mounted;
a wireless communication interface;
wherein the multi-sensor devices are configured to communicate with each other via their respective wireless communication interfaces, thereby forming a mesh network for communication of sensor data within a controlled agricultural or horticultural environment.
31. The agricultural or horticultural environment sensor system of claim 30, configured for wireless communication with an internet-connected enabled gateway.
32. The agricultural or horticultural environment sensor system of claim 30 or 31, wherein each sensor device is configured to act as a repeater in the mesh network only when receiving power from an external power source.
33. An agricultural or horticultural system comprising:
a controlled growth environment;
a plurality of multi-sensor devices in the controlled growth environment, each of the multi-sensor devices being according to any one of claims 1 to 11 or 14 to 29;
one or more environmental conditioning devices; and
one or more controllers arranged to receive data from the multi-sensor apparatus and to control the one or more environmental conditioning devices based on the received data.
34. The system of claim 33, configured to control the one or more environmental conditioning apparatuses differently in different regions of the controlled growth environment based on the received data and the respective locations of the multi-sensor apparatus in the controlled growth environment.
35. The system of claim 34, wherein each multi-sensor device comprises a position sensor.
36. The system of any one of claims 33 to 35, wherein the environmental conditioning device comprises one or more of: one or more sprinklers, one or more irrigation devices, one or more humidifiers, one or more mist or mist producing devices, one or more nutrient application devices, one or more heating devices, one or more cooling devices, one or more ventilators, one or more air flow devices, one or more carbon dioxide injection devices, one or more carbon dioxide extraction devices, one or more dehumidifiers, one or more light sources, and one or more shades.
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